Our first Red Phone question of the week came from an
Internet-savvy Hollister woman hoping to find out more information
about paying her utility bills online. The Crimson Crusader made a
quick call to Maria Mendez, an account technician with Hollister’s
Finance Department, to find out more about online bill paying.
Our first Red Phone question of the week came from an Internet-savvy Hollister woman hoping to find out more information about paying her utility bills online. The Crimson Crusader made a quick call to Maria Mendez, an account technician with Hollister’s Finance Department, to find out more about online bill paying.
Mendez said residents can pay their utility bills online through a link on the city’s Web site, hollister.ca.gov. She said the service provider only accepts payments from Visa and Mastercard at this time. The provider charges a $1.25 service fee for online payments, she said.
Mendez said residents should feel safe using the service, which is done through a secure Internet site. Residents who choose to pay their utility bills online can also get access to statements and account history through the site.
Where to find good wine
Our next Red Phone caller, a Hollister man and wine enthusiast, reported that he was dying to get his hands on the award-winning 2003 Donati Family Vineyards Meritage. Our caller said he read a story on the wine’s success at the 2007 San Francisco Chronicle Wine Competition in the Free Lance on Tuesday, but couldn’t find that vintage for sale anywhere.
The Crimson Crusader did some research and found that the 2003 Meritage is available at Lynn’s Liquors at 204 Hawkins St. in Hollister, the Donati Family Vineyard at 1140 Panoche Road in Paicines, via phone at 1-877-511-9463 or online from the company’s Web site, www.
donatifamilyvineyard.com.
Rough Crossing
Our final Red Phone matter of the week came from a young Hollister boy concerned that he might need repairs to his bicycle after riding over a rough railroad crossing on Third Street in Hollister. The Crimson Crusader called up Union Pacific Regional Public Affairs Director Mark Davis to find out what could be done to ease our caller’s railroad crossing woes.
Davis said crossing surfaces are typically improved during rail improvement projects, but sometimes the crossings would need repairs between projects. Davis took note of our caller’s problem and said he would have someone go and inspect the crossing as soon as possible.
In the future, residents should feel free to call the railroad company directly to report problems, he said. Davis encourages residents to call the Union Pacific community relations department toll-free at 1-800-848-8715 during regular business hours to report rough railroad crossings. Callers should be prepared to tell community relations personnel the name of the street and city where the crossing is located when calling, Davis said.
